Quality of Life Comparison

If you lived in Saint Martin instead of Palau, you would:

make 19.1% more money

Palau has a GDP per capita of $16,200, while in Saint Martin, the GDP per capita is $19,300.

Basic Needs

be 54.2% more likely to have access to electricity

In Palau, 59% of people have electricity access (62% in urban areas, and 45% in rural areas). In Saint Martin, that number is 91% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 80% in rural areas).

be 90.3% less likely to have internet access

In Palau, approximately 36.0% of the population has internet access. In Saint Martin, about 3.5% do.

Geography

see 96.1% less coastline

Palau has a total of 1,519 km of coastline. In Saint Martin, that number is 59 km.

Saint Martin: At a glance

Saint Martin is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 54 sq km. Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished Saint Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it between themselves in 1648. Friction between the two sides caused the border to frequently fluctuate over the next two centuries, with the French eventually holding the greater portion of the island (about 57%). The cultivation of sugar cane introduced African slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of Saint Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity. In 2010, the southern Dutch portion of the island became the independent nation of Sint Maarten within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

How big is Saint Martin compared to Palau?
See an in-depth size comparison.